Show ContentsOusley History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Ousley surname is thought to have been a habitational name, from a now lost place name in Southern England, perhaps from the name of the river name Ouse and the Old English "le-ah," meaning a "wood."

Early Origins of the Ousley family

The surname Ousley was first found in Salop (Shropshire) where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Saxon influence of English history diminished after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed. But Saxon surnames survived and the family name was first referenced in the year 1300 when they held in that shire.

Early History of the Ousley family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Ousley research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1455, 1487, 1570, 1624 and 1640 are included under the topic Early Ousley History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ousley Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Ousely, Ouseley, Owsley, Owseley, Oosely, Osly, Osley, Oursley, Housley and many more.

Early Notables of the Ousley family

More information is included under the topic Early Ousley Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ousley Ranking

In the United States, the name Ousley is the 5,980th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


United States Ousley migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Ousley Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William Ousley, who settled in the West Indies in 1656
Ousley Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • F W Ousley, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 2
  • Benjamin F. Ousley, aged 37, who arrived in New York in 1893 aboard the ship "New York" from Southampton, England 3
Ousley Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Emily Jane Ousley, aged 36, originally from Harbors, England, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England 3
  • Nicola Ousley, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Niagara" from Bordeaux, France 3
  • Norman Ousley, aged 24, who arrived in New York in 1924 aboard the ship "S. M. Spalding" from Tampico, Mexico 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Ousley (post 1700) +

  • Harold Lomax Ousley (1929-2015), American jazz tenor saxophonist and flautist, known for his work with Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton and Count Basie
  • Ross Ousley (b. 1937), former Australian rules footballer who played from 1956 to 1958
  • Monty Ousley Weddell, American Republican politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 104th District, 1996, 1998, 2000 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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